Introduction
As a current senior on the cusp of leaving for college, the topic of sexual violence has come up during conservations with my family as I am learning about what it means to be an adult living on my own and leaving the safe confines of my high school community and a relatively sheltered adolescence. As I am in the midst of applying to college,I can not help but wonder about whether will I feel safe at the school that I end up at, not just as a student, but as a female student?
My question has prompted me to look up the statistic on the number of reported sexual assault crimes perpetrated against women at American universities. What I found was startling.
Some visual statistics
These statistics are alarming, and most survivors face a lifetime of various physical, emotional, and psychological challenges.
Colleges with the Highest Rape Reports (circa 2014)
During the Obama administration a new instituted for universities to report sexual assault figures. There is a federal government website for campus safety, with all the numbers since 2014 when schools were required to report, that I would highly recommend. From the surveys that were conducted, the following schools had the highest rates of sexual assault
What are some key takeaways and questions?
- Incidents of rape and sexual assault are pervasive on college campuses and remains a persistent problem today.
- On college campuses, female students are much more susceptible to experiencing sexual violence.
- We should begin to seriously question what sorts of messages about women we are promoting on the internet to foster such an intense environment of rape culture at institutions of higher education.
- As students apply to college, should they be more worried about acquiring a good education or remaining safe on campus?
- What sorts of measures can be taken by these schools to ensure that their students, particularly female students, remain safe?
- Are we correctly educating children about how they should treat others with respect and kindness?
What You Can Do
The issue of sexual violence continues to be a pervasive social issue today. If you feel strongly about this issue and feel compelled to contribute to this cause, I encourage you to donate money and/or share my fundraiser with friends and family to support RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)—the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. Click on the link below to donate to this cause and join the fight: Donate Today to Support Anti-Sexual Violence